Oakland 3, D-Rays 1. Estaban Loaiza…Estaban Loaiza *shaking head*…The Devil Rays offense has been bad this year. They have been especially bad in the second half. On Sunday the Rays offense hit their low point of the season, when they could only manage 3 hits in 8 innings off of Estaban Friggin’ Loaiza. A real major league team should be able to get 7 hits off Loaiza while blindfolded and one arm tied behind their collective backs. In 12 major league seasons, Loaiza has only won more than 12 games once. We are not sure how he has managed to turn an arm full of potential and one 20-win season with the White Sox into what will undoubtedly be a 15-year major league career. But this much is certain…Estaban Loaiza is a terrible major league pitcher and somehow the D-Rays made him look like Sandy Koufax yesterday. B. J. Upton led the way, both literally and figuratively. Upton batted lead off for the first time this season. In his first at bat, he was robbed of a base hit on a diving catch by Elijah Dukes Sr. (Milton Bradley). He then proceeded to strikeout during his next 3 plate appearances. Tim Cocoran was cruising until he ran into trouble in the 7th inning that cost himself a chance at a victory. Corky had allowed only a 5th inning single to Eric Chavez in the first 6 innings. In the 7th after retiring the first batter, he gave up a single and then a 2-run home run to Chavez, and the lead and the game was gone.

So the Rays have now been swept by Oakland, after being swept by Seattle and are 8-21 since the All-Star break with no hope in sight.